The present invention pertains generally to panty hose garments, and more particularly to panty hose having notches between the big toes and the second toes allowing them to be worn with thong style footwear.
Thong style footwear such as sandals and xe2x80x9cflip flopsxe2x80x9d are well known in the art. Such footwear has a strap or thong which passes between the big toe and the second toe, and two or more connecting straps which pass over the top of the foot. Such footwear is most conveniently worn when barefooted so that the thong may freely enter and engage the cleft between the toes.
Tabi socks from Japan are specifically designed with gaps between the big toe and the second toe so they may be worn with getas which are wooden clogs having thongs passing between the positions of the big toes and the second toes. The gaps are as long as the clefts between the toes allowing the thongs to be positioned in the crotches of the clefts without tugging on the tabi socks and toes. The tabi socks are made of a relatively thick material such as cotton and are knitted and sewn to conform to the curvatures of the toes to maintain a smooth appearance.
Novelty socks are also available having each toe knitted and sewn separately in the rounded shapes of the toes in the same manner as gloves.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,247 shows hosiery having a foot portion similar to tabi socks with a separate big toe section.
Thong type sandals and shoes have become increasingly popular with the trend toward casual dress. But the use of tabi socks with them is limited because the impression is too casual. And wearing thong type sandals and shoes barefoot has limited appeal.
Regular panty hose create a much more dressy appearance and are worn for several reasons with shoes. Shoes tend to be uncomfortable without hose or socks because there are seams inside and the shoe materials are rough. Hose or socks provide padding between the skin of the feet and the shoes. Shoes are also uncomfortable without hose or socks because the feet sweat causing the skin to stick to the shoe material. Hose or socks wick the moisture away making the shoes more comfortable. Panty hose are also desirable because they make the legs look better by hiding blemishes and creating a slick appearance. In addition, they provide some warmth.
But regular panty hose have limited utility with thong type sandals and shoes. The stretching of the hose material around the thongs uncomfortably pulls the toes and bunches up around the thongs. It would be desirable to have panty hose specially designed for use with thongs.
The present invention is directed to nylon or polyester panty hose having notches between the big toes and second toes to accept thong style footwear. The notches are relatively shallow so that when the feet of the wearer are inserted into the foot portions and the feet pushed against the thongs, the elastic material around the notches stretches to conform to the thongs and toes creating a smooth appearance making the panty hose virtually invisible.
In accordance with an important aspect of the invention, the notch is shaped and dimensioned such that it has a depth which is less that the length of the cleft between the toes, so that when the foot and toe portion are inserted into the thong style footwear, the notch must elastically stretch to permit the thong to abut the crotch of the cleft. In so doing, the fabric of the toe portion of the panty hose is drawn taught around the toes thereby giving the toe portion a smooth surface and appearance.
In accordance with an important feature of the invention, the edges of the notch and the end of the hose are substantially 90xc2x0 with respect to each other allowing easy fabrication. The stretching of the elastic material conforms the hose to the adjacent toes.
In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the edges of the notch are substantially 90xc2x0 with respect to each other allowing easy fabrication. The stretching of the elastic material conforms the hose to the adjacent toes.